Koch ‘flabbergasted’ by Obama’s criticism

Koch-backed groups have spent millions and millions of dollars fighting renewable energy standards, climate change regulations, and subsidies for alternative energy. But Koch Industries CEO Charles Koch said he was “flabbergasted” when President Obama criticized this spending. In a speech at a clean energy summit in Las Vegas last week, Obama said: “When you start seeing massive lobbying efforts backed by fossil fuel interests, or conservative think tanks, or the Koch brothers pushing for new laws to roll back renewable energy standards, or to prevent new clean energy businesses from succeeding, that’s a problem.” Koch told Politico that such comments were “beneath the president.” Koch was particularly bothered by the suggestion that he opposes subsidies for clean energy out of personal financial interest. He said that he opposes “all subsidies, whether they benefit or help us.” – Phillip Brownlee